The 11th Thing Podcast: Recent Episodes
Paul Aladenika
This podcast series explores the habits, behaviours and cultures that make organisations successful. As part of this, we focus on the unique role that leadership can play is helping average organisations to become exceptional.
In this fifth episode in the series focusing on organisational integrity, the 11th Thing podcast takes an in depth and detailed look at ‘business standards’. Our special special guest on this episode is Chief Executive and Founder of Above the Ground Leadership, Rhonda Y. Williams MBA MSN RN.
Reflecting on her experience as a former hospital Chief Executive and her current role as a business leader and innovator, Rhonda Williams explains how standards play a critical role in cultivating leadership capability and establishing an organisation’s identity.
In her brilliant exposition, Rhonda Williams also describes the unique relationship that exists between business standards, values, succession planning and the organisational hierarchy.
In this fourth episode in the series focusing on organisational integrity, the 11th Thing podcast undertakes a forensic examination of ‘the anatomy of trust’. Our special special guest is the decorated and distinguished Deputy Chief of Staff of the United Sates Africa Command, Colonel G. Damon Wells.
Drawing on his decades of active service across multiple continents and illustrations of first hand experience, Colonel Wells explains why integrity is built on trust.
As part of this, Colonel Wells highlights the critical building blocks of trust, offers nuanced insights into how organisations can prevent trust from becoming transactional and describes how leaders can identify where ‘trust deficits’ may exist in their workplace. In addition, Colonel Wells explains how trust can help to deliver better organisational results.
In this third episode in the series focusing on organisational integrity, the 11th Thing podcast explores ‘the foundations of integrity’, with special guest, renowned academic, speaker, consultant and award-winning author Dr Marilyn Gist.
Sharing powerful insights and first hand testimonies from decades in senior leadership and management development, Dr Gist deconstructs the building blocks of organisational integrity.
In particular, she explains how organisations can create an integrity ecosystem, how integrity can be utilised as an organisational improvement tool and how a culture of integrity can help organisations to navigate their way through difficult times.
Drawing insights from her award-winning book, ‘The Extraordinary Power of Leader Humility’ Dr Gist also highlights the importance of dignity as a critical building block of integrity.
In this second episode in the series focusing on organisational integrity, the 11th Thing podcast delves into the subject of ‘leading with integrity’, with returning special guest, retired US Marine Lt Colonel and leadership coach, Mike Targos.
Reflecting on his decades of leadership experience in the military and corporate worlds, Mike sets out the specific roles of leaders in embedding integrity into organisational habits, behaviours and ways of working. In addition to this, Mike describes the ‘dividend’ for organisations that are built on a foundation of integrity, as well as the risks and costs for those that are not.
So make sure you listen in to the next episode of the 11th Thing podcast, hosted by me Paul Aladenika, with special guest, retired US Marine Lt Colonel and leadership coach Mark Targos.
In this first episode, in a new series focusing on organisational integrity, the 11th Thing podcast explores the importance of ‘communicating integrity’ with special guest, leadership consultant and former US military veteran Gary Silverthorn.
Drawing on his unique experience, from two decades of active service in both the US Marines and Army, Gary explains the critical role that integrity plays in defining an organisation’s character, shaping its culture and cultivating its leaders. Gary also notes that, when organisations communicate with integrity, they don’t just improve the customer experience, they also net higher profits.
So, make sure you listen in to next episode of the 11th thing podcast, hosted by me Paul Aladenika with my special guest, leadership coach and former US military veteran Gary Silverthorn.
In this seventh episode in the series on organisational power, the 11th Thing podcast deconstructs ‘the power of competence’ with special guest, 30 year veteran of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA] and Vice President of Human Resources at the Space Centre Houston, Brady Pyle.
Delving deep into his decades long experience working in large complex organisation with many thousands of employees, Brady explains how organisations can meet the unrelenting demands of competence, even when the margins for error are zero. As a two time recipient of NASA’s Outstanding Leadership Medal, Brady also describes the specific role for leaders and teams in developing and maintaining a culture of competence.
So, make sure you listen in to next episode of the 11th thing podcast, hosted by me Paul Aladenika with my special guest, NASA veteran and Vice President of the Space Centre Houston, Brady Pyle.
In this sixth episode in the series on organisational power, special guest distinguished professor, scholar and president of Warner Pacific University, Dr Brian Johnson, delivers a masterclass on ‘power dynamics’.
The episode delves into the complexity of power dynamics as well as the nuanced personal and professional relationships that underpin them. Drawing on decades of professional experience, including in senior and executive roles, Dr Johnson specifically highlights the importance of humility and integrity as essential ingredients for healthy and productive power dynamics .
So, make sure you listen in to next episode of the 11th thing podcast, hosted by me Paul Aladenika with my special guest, distinguished professor, scholar and president of Warner Pacific University, Dr Brian Johnson.
In this fifth episode in the series on organisational power, the 11th Thing Podcast focuses on the ‘psychology of power’ with special guest, author, coach and consultant, Karen Amlin. The episode specifically examines how people experience the impact of power through the behaviours and practice of their superiors, peers and subordinates. In doing so it highlights the fact that, behind every action is a mindset that is informed by attitudes, beliefs and values that are often hard-wired into each individual as well as the organisations that employ them.
Drawing on her years of coaching experience, Karen Amlin, shares insights on the benefits for organisations that carefully cultivate psychologically safe working environments, as well as the lasting damage that can be done, when they do not. It is not to be missed.
So, make sure you listen in to next episode of the 11th thing podcast, hosted by me Paul Aladenika with my special guest, author, coach and consultant Karen Amlin.
In this fourth episode in a new series on organisational power, the 11th Thing Podcast focuses on ‘power structures’, with special guest Dr Chara Willaford. This episode is predicated on the understanding that power can only be effective when there is a clear framework in place, at every organisational level, to govern its use.
Drawing on her vast experience as an educator, leadership developer and organisational change-maker, Dr Willaford argues that to maximise workforce capabilities, power structures must create scope for innovation and safeguard against the risk of abuse.
As this episode delves deeper, Dr Willaford describes the key building blocks of sustainable power structures and explains how these can accelerate the pace of organisational success.
In this third episode in a new series on organisational power, the 11th Thing Podcast delves deep into the ‘Power of Purpose’, with special guest John Neyer, Senior Vice President at Think2Perform. Reflecting on his 30 years’ worth of experience in the financial services industry including with global brands such as American Express, Merrill Lynch, John Hancock and Prudential, John explains the importance of purpose in driving organisational change.
As a business mentor and leader, John goes further to describe the essential role that organisational leadership plays in creating a work-place climate where purpose is not just communicated through words, but more importantly through modelled behaviours, attitudes and discipline.
In this second episode in a new series focusing on organisational power, the 11th Thing Podcast explores the power of fierce kindness. With our special guest, executive coach, author and former member of the UK’s Institute of Directors governing Council, Nick Robinson; we deconstruct the anatomy of kindness to better understand its potency as an organisational superpower.
Referencing his excellent new book: ‘The 9 types of difficult people’, and drawing on decades worth of professional experience from the private and public sectors, Nick explains how he has successfully deployed fierce kindness to navigate through toxic organisational environments and neutralise the effect of disruptive behaviours.
In this new 11th Thing podcast series focusing on organisational power, we speak to consultant, Shaheen Myers about the ‘power of connection’. During the episode, Shaheen, draws on her vast experience as a former senior public servant, in the UK local government and education sectors, to explain how connection can drive culture change.
Amongst the insights shared during this episode, Shaheen emphasises the importance of vulnerability in relationship forming, the critical role of leadership authenticity as well as the need to know who people are beyond their title. In addition, Shaheen highlights the essential role that establishing an organisation’s ‘why’, the capacity to listen and even humour can play in creating connection across the workforce.
On this episode of the 11th Thing podcast we take a look at the importance of leadership example setting with special guest; former business executive, coach, speaker and top-selling author Laura Darrell. During the episode, Laura draws on her decades worth of experience, gained whilst working for some of the most iconic brands in business [including Apple and Starbucks] to describe the critical role that leaders play when they set examples for others.
In this masterclass, Laura highlights the dangers that arise when leaders, especially those in senior positions, are perceived as unrelatable. Laura goes on to state that behaviours are the most powerful voice of leadership and the most effective way to build trust and establish credibility with followers.
On this episode of the 11th Thing podcast, we continue the deep-dive into the characteristics of exceptional leadership by looking at leadership empowerment, with mentor and networker Ade Solarin.
Delving into his years of experience in public, civil and voluntary service, Ade shares valuable insights on the transformational difference that leaders can make when they empower those, they lead to become the best that they can be. In addition, Ade describes key building blocks for any leader committed to leaving an empowerment legacy.
On this episode of the 11th Thing podcast, we continue the deep-dive into the characteristics of exceptional leadership by looking at leadership character. To help with this exploration, the special guest for this episode, retired US Marine Lieutenant Colonel and leadership coach Mike Targos, explains what character is and why it is such an important component of leadership.
Drawing on his more than two decades of military service, Mike offers exceptional insights that demonstrate how character enables individuals to build meaningful relationships with others, equips them to go over and above and empowers them to lead in crisis. In addition, Mike describes the intersection between character in military service and the corporate world.
On this episode of the 11th Thing podcast, special guest Dr David L Schreiner, speaks about the importance of values-driven leadership.
On this episode of the 11th Thing podcast, special guest Melissa Eisenbrandt, speaks about the importance of authentic leadership. The discussion builds on episode three of the series, which identified the nine principles of exceptional leadership.
Melissa, who is a certified leadership coach with some 20 years experience, highlights some of the unique challenges that leaders face in being their authentic selves. However, she strongly believes that authenticity is essential as it empowers leaders to reach the next level of the extraordinary.
This episode of the 11th Thing podcast focuses on servant-minded leadership. It builds on episode three of the series which identified the nine principles of exceptional leadership. To explore the issue of servant-minded leadership in more depth and detail, leadership coach, trainer and consultant Jon Antonucci shares his personal testimony and inspirational back story.
Jon, who brings some 20 years of leadership experience to the discussion, explains that for leaders to effectively serve others (irrespective of the industry that they operate in) their service must be based on a foundation of love.
This podcast is the third in a series, exploring the secret sauce of organisational success. This episode specifically focuses on the nine principles of leadership exceptionalism. For any organisation of any size, leadership culture is its heartbeat. Therefore to be successful, an organisation must develop a culture of leadership exceptionalism.
Each of the nine principles, described in this episode, present a unique perspective on the character and personality of exceptional leadership. These principles are interconnected and inter-dependant. Cumulatively they set the backdrop for forthcoming episodes of the 11th Thing podcast, where we we will be building on these principles with practical examples from invited guests.
The 11th Thing Podcast series explores the secret sauce of organisational success. The series will look at all aspects of what makes organisations dynamic, in particular the unique and distinctive role played by leaders in driving organisations towards exceptionalism.
This podcast, the second in a series, exploring the secret sauce of organisational success. This episode specifically focuses on the six principles of organisational power. Challenging some of the conventional notions about what power is and where it can be found, this episode asserts that how an organisation sees it workforce, how the workforce perceives their employer and how the workforce perceives itself is framed through the lens of power.
Therefore, by being consciously aware of how power is utilised, where it is underutilised and how it can be delegated, organisations are better placed to harness employee capabilities, increase productivity and enhance effectiveness.
This postcode, the first in a series, explores the secret sauce of organisational success. It asserts that there are five key cultures that create the conditions for organisations to excel. These are the culture of integrity, the culture of leadership, the culture of power, the culture of aspiration and the culture of accountability.